Re: st: How to pass tempfile names to called do-files

[Gary Longton <glongton@fhcrc.org>]

Joseph Coveney wrote:

> In accordance with recommendations from a NetCourse taken some time ago, I'm 
> writing a master do-file that calls dataset-creating do-files and then calls 
> analysis do-files to act upon the datasets created.  
> I would like to use temporary files (-tempfile-) for the analysis datasets that 
> are shared.  So, I create a global macro to hold the physical file name in 
> order to pass the tempfile to the called do-files so that it can be shared 
> between the dataset-creating and analysis do-files.  (Illustrated below.)  
> Question:  is this the recommended approach to sharing tempfiles among 
> do-files?
You can avoid the step assigning the temporary file names to global macros.  The 
temporary filenames/location can be passed directly to the called do-files as 
arguments via the local macros that were assigned to them with -tempfile-.
I've not done this with called do-files, but have often used the same idea to 
pass temporary file names to programs defined within a do-file, or to 
subprograms within a program.

your code, edited accordingly:

--------------------------master.do--------------------------------------------
tempfile tmp1 tmp2 tmp3 tmp4
do cr1 `tmp1'
do cr2 `tmp2'
[etc.]
do an1 `tmp1'
do an2 `tmp2
[etc.]
exit

---------------------------cr1.do----------------------------------------------
odbc load [. . .]
[manipulations to create analysis dataset]
save `1'
exit

---------------------------an1.do----------------------------------------------
use `1', clear
tabulate [. . .]
summarize [. . .]
[etc.]
exit
--------------------------------


I'd add an unnecessary step reassigning the do-file argument to local macro with 
more meaningful names, e.g.:

---------------------------cr1_rev2.do----------------------------------------------
local outfile `"`1'"'
odbc load [. . .]
[manipulations to create analysis dataset]
save `outfile'
exit
----------------

- Gary




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